Coronavirus India: India is the second worst-hit country in the world after the US.
A single-day spike of 96,982 infections, a day after India breached the one-lakh mark in daily cases, has taken the country's coronavirus caseload to over 1.26 crore, data from the Union Health Ministry this morning showed.
The number of deaths climbed to 1,65,547 with 446 people dying of COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours. India is the country with the third-highest coronavirus caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil.
Maharashtra, the worst-hit state in the country, reported 47,288 new coronavirus cases, pushing the total count in the state to over 3.23 lakh.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow people above 25 years of age to receive COVID-19 shots, which he said will protect the young people from the rapid spread of coronavirus at a time when they are stepping outside their homes to earn a livelihood.
Delhi recorded 3,548 new coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the tally to over 6.79 lakh. Amid concerns of the second wave of Covid overwhelming the capital's public health infrastructure, the Delhi government said private hospitals with more than 100 beds will have to reserve 30% of total normal and ICU (Intensive Care Unit) beds for Covid patients.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with Chief Ministers on Thursday to discuss the COVID-19 situation and the ongoing vaccination drive, news agency PTI reported, quoting sources. His last interaction with Chief Ministers was on March 17 during which he had expressed concern over the rise in COVID-19 cases in parts of the country and called for "quick and decisive" steps to check the "emerging second peak".
On Sunday, at a high-level meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided that central teams should immediately be sent to three states - Maharashtra, Punjab and Chhattisgarh.
Recoveries among COVID-19 patients in the country surged to 1.17 crore.
Over eight crore people in India have been vaccinated since the involution drive began in January and opened to the general public The unprecedented surge in infections comes at a time when four states and one union territory are in the election mode. Over 20 crore people from Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are voting in a mammoth electoral exercise today. The Election Commission has put in place strict protocols such as ensuring that people are in masks and maintain social distancing, as well as increasing the number of polling stations.
The coronavirus pandemic has killed over 28.52 lakh people globally since it emerged in China in late 2019. Over 13.13 crore people have been infected.
The United States is the worst-affected country with over 5.55 lakh deaths from 3.07 crore cases.
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